


A Leaf in the Wind

by Zhallanna



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Chance Meetings, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Queerplatonic Relationships, Secret Crush, Simon is Markus' Muse (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28321857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhallanna/pseuds/Zhallanna
Summary: Markus is a struggling sketch artist who enjoys spending time at Henry Ford Commemorative Park in order to find inspiration for his work.Simon is a male nanny who often visits the same park during the few breaks he can get while not caring for the two children under his charge.Oddly while both men have visited this same park in Detroit many times… they’d never run across each other… until one cold day in November changed all that.NOTE: This is a special Simkus AU that may eventually turn to a full relationship later on, but for now the goal is a Queerplatonic one for the Challenge.
Relationships: Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 14
Collections: Gen and Aro Prompts (Any fandom)





	1. A Familiar Place

**Author's Note:**

  * For [XelynCraft](https://archiveofourown.org/users/XelynCraft/gifts), [APurpleAvocado](https://archiveofourown.org/users/APurpleAvocado/gifts), [disterra (mutantrentboy)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutantrentboy/gifts), [SeeWithMyOwnEyes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeeWithMyOwnEyes/gifts), [Adaramun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adaramun/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [27twinsister](https://archiveofourown.org/users/27twinsister/pseuds/27twinsister) in the [GenAndAroPrompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/GenAndAroPrompts) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Any fandom!  
> You know like, classic Coffee Shop AU? You know how it ends with the characters being in love and all that? Yeah, that.  
> EXCEPT they end up either in a queerplatonic relationship (QPR) or just friends and earlier they were just too shy to talk to each other for more than 5 seconds. Just like, make them both awkward introverts. And they aren’t dating (QPRs are different.)

**November 5, 1983**

**10:30am**

Markus loved coming here.

There was just something so magical about Henry Ford Commemorative Park that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

The leaves had begun to change just a few weeks prior, and now all of the maple trees shined with crisp shades of yellow and orange. A few leaves had already fallen to the ground, but enough of them still held fast to the branches to make each tree almost glimmer in the mid-morning sunlight.

The park was surprisingly sparse for a Saturday morning. Perhaps it was due to the unique mid-autumn chill in the air that could only be felt in a Great Lakes city like Detroit. Markus quite enjoyed the raw sensation this type of weather would grant. There was a faint moistness that hung in the air and blended just right with the cold bite from the passing breeze.

It was that same breeze that caused one particular maple leaf to finally lose its battle with the branch it had been housed upon. It gracefully danced through the air before finally came to rest upon the smooth mocha skin of Markus’ left hand. His chin lowered as mis-matched eyes took in each tiny crack and crevice of this singular piece of flora. Eventually his right hand crossed over with the pads of his fingers grasping the stem as gently as possible. Lips shifted up into the smallest of smiles as he then let the cool wind recapture it and send it off to perhaps find a new admirer to enjoy its beauty as well.

The wind must have known exactly where to go, because soon enough this tiny leaf did in fact find a new home.

It delicately landed upon the slim shoulder of a man with short blonde hair who had just walked through the north entrance. He wore a navy blue jacket zipped all the way up and a pair of black Docker slacks. On his hands were a pair of brown knitted gloves with the fingers cut off. The most striking feature about this stranger, however, was the exquisite pale blue hue of his eyes. After plucking the leaf from his jacket, fingers twirled it by the stem as he gently grinned in response. Those same eyes almost seemed to twinkle in the sunlight before his hand released the leaf back into the air.

Why had Markus never noticed him before? His unique eye as an artist often blessed him with discoveries that most other people would miss. Surely he would have noticed such a fascinating person before now. It was such an odd feeling as he’d never been so immeasurably drawn to another man before.

The pale blue eyes and golden blonde hair were already the perfect complements to those rosy cheeks and full lips, but when those selfsame lips curled upwards it was if Markus had discovered the most perfect face in all of Detroit.

The fingertips of his left hand had blackened from the charcoal stick he was using to sketch upon the pad nestled on his lap, but catching the sight of this other man’s near angelic features lead to the escape of the drawing utensil from his grasp. Before he even realized it, the stalk had landed on the ground a few feet away and nearly forgotten until it was picked up by a pair of pale fingers…

\----------------------------

Simon loved coming here.

There was just something about the atmosphere in Henry Ford Commemorative Park that he couldn’t quite place.

More often he’d visit the part in the evenings after he was done with work for the day. It was still quite uncommon in this day and age for a man to be a nanny, but Simon had such a knack with children that he’d landed a job as a nanny for a pair of 9 year-old twin girls who adored him to no end.

On this particular Saturday, however, he somehow felt compelled to visit the park in the morning. The girls’ parents had decided to take them on a trip up to Ottawa to visit family and so he was left to his own devices for at least a week.

Upon entering the park, he paused and glanced over at the remarkable glow of sunlight through the orange and yellow leaves of the maple trees. It was a sight he often missed in his evening visits since the sun would often near the western horizon around 5pm in the fall. The breeze was crisper today than usual, but he didn’t seem to mind it too much.

Soft blue eyes scanned around the park just as a small maple leaf danced past his nose. After it finally perched upon his left shoulder, Simon reached up and pulled it free with the smallest of smiles. The stem twirled between the pads of his fingers and then broke apart to let the delicate foliage continue on its windy journey.

Once he turned back, he caught the image of a striking man sitting on one of the benches. His skin was a unique shade of mocha that he’d never seen before. Dark hair had been cropped short and matched the light brushing of stubble all along his chin. But it was the other man’s eyes that drew Simon’s interest the most. His right eye was a soft shade of blue and the left a pale green. Come to think of it, he’d never met anyone with two different colored eyes before.

Upon his shoulders was a long brown cotton trench coat which had been left unbuttoned to reveal a dark green V-neck sweater underneath. Nestled on his lap was what appeared to be a sketch pad with a partial charcoal drawing upon the current page.

An artist? How interesting. It was so strange that Simon had never seen this other man at the park before. His appearance was so peculiar that it would have certainly caught his attention before this moment. It’s not like he was even attracted to men, but there was just… something so captivating about this individual that he couldn’t quite place.

After taking in the sharpest of breaths, the blonde man made the decision to step further along the sidewalk with hands tucking deep inside his jacket pockets. His footsteps soon paused upon the faint sound of something hitting the ground nearby. With a lifted eyebrow he knelt down only to find a thin stick of what appeared to be charcoal. Pale fingers drew it up from the concrete just seconds before his blue eyes soon met blue and green.

There was almost an uncomfortable silence between the two men before finally Simon extended his hand upwards with a soft smile. “This yours?” he nearly whispered as he could feel the warmth of a blush reaching his pale cheeks.

A soft tenor voice responded with a short. “Yeah. Uh… thanks,” as the two slim fingers blackened no doubt from using said charcoal grasped the stalk and tugged it up from Simon’s own. Soon after he boosted himself back up to his feet and forced himself to continue on his original path to the shopping center across the street.

If he didn’t know better, he could almost sense those beautiful eyes following him as he rounded the corner.


	2. The Persistence of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon returns to the Park with intentions to find the intriguing stranger he briefly met before. Instead he discovers another friendly visitor with whom, he shares a brief chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so this story will touch upon homophobia briefly since was still quite present in the early 80's. I apologize in advance if that makes anyone uncomfortable.

**November 7, 1983**

**9:45am**

It was a balmy 30 degrees by 9am on Monday. Well… balmy by Detroit standards anyways. While the temp was below freezing, the air was abnormally dry for this time of year. Usually the city would be in the midst of alternating rain and snow by Thanksgiving, but the forecast had said the city would see 50+ degree temperatures all the way through the weekend.

The abnormally warm city climate had provided Simon the perfect excuse to once again venture outside for a morning walk. He’d always been extremely sensitive to cold. So much so that he always wondered why he still lived here. Even now he was bundled up wearing a black turtleneck sweater and thick olive green corduroys along with his usual navy blue jacket and brown gloves.

He felt the cool air sting his lungs as he turned the corner to enter the Park. A few other visitors were also passing through at a seemingly lethargic pace despite the cold. By their state of dress, most of them appeared to be on their way to work and yet were in no particular mood to socialize with anyone else. Such as it usually was on Monday mornings.

Simon took a few apprehensive steps down along the sidewalk path with pale eyes shifting to and fro. Perhaps he was hopeful that the handsome artist would also make an appearance. His feet eventually drew him over to the bench he’d found this intriguing stranger sitting at just 2 days prior. Sadly, he found said bench unoccupied this morning which caused his lips to slowly frown in disappointment.

Exposed fingertips lowered to brush ever so gently across one of the wooden slats as if hoping to somehow capture some fleeting warmth from the absent man’s former presence. Perhaps it was too much to ask for, but the pale man had to try anyways.

One dark skinned woman who happened to be walking along with a hot thermos of coffee paused not too far from where Simon stood and inclined her head a touch. “You’re looking for something…” she murmured with a small grin and perhaps a bit of mirth in her ebony hued gaze.

“Hmm?” Simon immediately stood back up straight in surprise before peeking over his shoulder in the direction of the voice. “Oh! I’m so sorry. Did you want to sit here? I can move.”

The woman shuffled a few hard bound books in-between her arms and softly shook her head. “No you don’t need to. You simply appear to be lost...” Her dark hair was braided back along her head in a set of cornrows that ended beneath the pushed up collar of a long grey overcoat. “Do you need some help?” Her face was smooth and her expression kind as she offered the man a soft smile.

Simon shoved his hands nervously inside the side pockets of his jacket. “I uh… maybe.” He quickly looked around just to make sure no one else could hear them and then leaned in. “Have you ever seen a man sitting here in a brown coat? He carries around a sketch pad with him I think.” He felt his pale cheeks redden even as he asked the question.

He wasn’t a homosexual. At least he was pretty sure he wasn’t. Hell Simon had never felt any desire to even kiss a guy let alone sleep with one. Why suddenly he was so possessed to find this other man? The feat had baffled him so completely and yet here he was.

“Ah. You must mean the artist with exotic eyes,” the woman answered as her smile never faltered. “He doesn’t usually come here on Mondays.” She looked Simon up and down a few times. “You must be freezing.” She handed out her thermos towards the man. “Drink this. Don’t worry it’s just coffee.”

Blue eyes watched hesitantly as she reached across with the warm receptacle. Lungs drew in a sharp breath which reminded him just how cold he really felt. Finally a hand popped up out of his jacket and snatched the thermos from her grasp. “Thanks…” he offered as he tipped it back for a sip.

“Lucy,” she replied as he handed the cup back to her. “My name is Lucy. And you’re quite welcome.”

“I’m Simon. Um… nice to meet you.” He once again drew his hand back down and thrust it into the inviting heat of his jacket pocket.

Once again Lucy adjusted her grasp on the two thick books tucked inside her right arm. He was able to catch part of the spine of one at least with a curious glance. Something to do with metaphysics. Perhaps she had hippie relatives? He wasn’t about to ask her.

“He’s very handsome. I understand why you’d want to find him.”

That made Simon perform a double take towards the woman. “E-excuse me?”

With a tilt of her head towards the coffee shop across the street, Lucy just grinned once more before turning to continue on her way. “Have a good morning, Simon.”

And with that, he was once again alone standing there in the cold. He could still taste the bitter coffee Lucy had offered him upon his tongue. Perhaps it was a sign that he should just go buy a cup for himself instead to warm up his insides.

With a swift heel turn, Simon adopted a steady pace as he jogged towards the coffee shop. As the walk sign shifted to a brisk blinked warning, he attempted to accelerate his feet to make it across the street in time. The booming car horn suddenly blasting in his direction let the man know he’d not quite been fast enough. He grunted as the driver flipped him off but then turned to finally stumble the last few feet towards his destination.

And that’s when he bumped into something… or more importantly someone.

“Hey watch where…” came a tenor voice that suddenly went silent as a blue and green eye finally met a pair of gentle blue.


	3. Like a Calm Summer's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus ponders upon his new sketch just as a strange admirer stops by...

**November 7, 1983**

**9:30am**

Markus wasn’t usually on this side of town on Mondays, but he felt almost unnaturally compelled to visit the Park today of all days.

It certainly didn’t hurt that Detroit was currently going through a strange heat wave right now. It actually made his afternoons sitting in the park much more manageable. Not that he hated the cold by any means… but drawing in 50 degree cold as opposed to 30 degrees made all the difference in the world.

The morning was still just crisp enough that the artist had made the decision to first grab some hot java at his favorite coffee shop in all of Greektown before heading over to occupy his usual bench across the street.

The sketchpad was unfurled upon the table in front of Markus as he stared down at a half finished portrait of the blonde man he’d briefly met just a few days prior. His strong brow furrowed as he observed each line. While he did have the gift of near perfect memory with people’s faces, for some reason he felt like something was missing.

Deft fingers quietly opened the small box of drawing utensils and dug out a small piece of charcoal. Holding the stick between his fingers, he began adding a few more long lines to further define the waves of the other man’s short hair and eyebrows.

It was only once he’d placed the last stroke that Markus heard a woman’s voice from behind his shoulder. “He looks very peaceful.”

Green and blue eyes immediately shot behind him only to find the source of the voice being a dark skinned woman with near black eyes and hair pulled back nearly into cornrows. “Sorry?”

“The man in your sketch,” she continued with a thermos faintly directed towards his drawing. “Someone whose posed for you?”

Markus gradually turned in his seat to formally face her as a hand placed the charcoal stick down for now. “Posed? Uh… not exactly. Just someone I saw at the Park…” He subconsciously rubbed his fingertips together before resting both hands upon his lap. “I don’t even know his name, to be honest.”

The strange woman chuckled faintly as she adjusted the books in-between her arms. “Well that’s a bit of a predicament, isn’t it?” Her feet stepped closer to Markus’ table as her eyes scanned the unfinished work. “Do you remember the color of his eyes?”

“Pale blue… like the sky on a calm summer’s day,” Markus responded perhaps without even thinking about it. He soon felt the same stomach flutter he’d experienced when those same eyes met with his the other morning.

What the hell was he doing? It’s not like Markus was gay or anything. He certainly wasn’t struggling with the ladies to get laid, that’s for sure. The fact that a man… this man in particular had occupied his thoughts so completely had him utterly confused.

“Ah yes now I can see it…” the woman tilted her head just so as those dark eyes moved between the man and his work. “You can learn a lot from a person’s eyes.” She smiled and nodded faintly. “Yours are especially interesting.”

“Hmmm? Oh it’s a rare condition. Heterochromia I think it’s called? My mother was white and my father was black. She had blue eyes but her father had green eyes.” Mocha shaded fingers brushed across the stubble upon his head almost nervously. “I don’t much think about it except when the occasional girl tries to flirt with me…” Markus then paused as realized that this woman might be trying to do that very thing. Clearing his throat loudly he then reached for his coffee cup and drank a rather large amount of the caffeinated beverage.

That caused her to all but cackle towards the embarrassed man. “Trust me I have no intention of getting into your pants. And I didn’t mean their colors… It's more like they show that your heart is troubled. You’re unsure about whether to follow one path or another.” Another nod was given towards the sketch. “Perhaps he can help you.”

Markus grunted even as he dropped the porcelain coffee cup back down near the drawing pad. “My apologies...” He then sighed heavily. “I don’t even know this guy. Just some random stranger who walked into the Park this past Saturday morning. As for my heart, well that’s my own business, Miss…?”

“Lucy. You can call me Lucy.” She grinned with a bit of twinkle in those dark eyes. “Anyways I’m sure you’ll run into him again. I’d better get my coffee and head on off to work. It was nice to meet you.” And with that Lucy turned and head off towards the counter to have the barista fill her thermos with much needed java.

Humph. She hadn’t even asked for his name which caused Markus a bit of concern. He sat back and crossed his arms while those mismatched eyes just stared at the unnamed man’s face lain out on the table. A part of him wanted to rip that page right off and throw it in the trash and yet he just couldn’t compel himself to do so. After a few silent minutes of pondering, he finally just lifted the book and rapidly flipped the cover around to hide that beautifully soft face from view.

Three long sips of coffee later, he slowly hoisted himself up and swayed around the other occupied tabled towards the front door. A shoulder pushed the door open with his exposed face soon met by the chilled breeze outside.

Gloves. Gloves would be good.

Markus smirked and looked down for only a moment to tug a pair of leather gloves out from inside his coat pocket when he was abruptly bumped into by someone. His eyes jumped up with a quick, “Hey watch where…” just in time to spy a familiar set of pale blue ones gazing right back at him.


	4. Mirror, Mirror...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an abrupt meeting, both Markus & Simon decide to escape the cold and return to the coffee shop to enjoy a bit of real conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [disterra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutantrentboy) for the beautiful art piece to go along with this story! You can now find it as the header for Chapter 1.

**November 7, 1983**

**9:51am**

Both men immediately hesitated mid-step before finally withdrawing to a somewhat safer distance. In the process, Markus’s chilled fingers lost grip on one of his leather gloves even as eyes remained transfixed on the other man standing in front of him.

Only when the abandoned glove touched the ground did Simon force his own eyes downward and knelt just enough to retrieve it. His gestures were a near perfect reproduction of the other morning when he retrieved the charcoal stick. The man paused for half a second with lips sliding upwards into a small smile at the irony of it. Knees eventually rose back up with his own gloved hand extending to give the small article of clothing back to its rightful owner.

“Um… thanks…” was the response the other man gave as he reached out in return.

“Sure. No pro-,“ but Simon’s words were cut off as exposed fingertips drifted across the smooth textures of Markus’ right palm. His lips fell open in surprise as a tinge of red crept upon his already rosy cheeks. Once their hands fully parted, he dropped his own back down and stuffed it deep within his jacket pocket. “I uh… should have been paying more attention where I was going. ’m sorry.”

The darker skinned man merely grinned as both gloves fell back inside his coat. The blush certainly didn’t escape his notice, especially since he’d had the same reaction to Lucy only minutes before. “I was about to head to over the Park but…” He turned back towards the coffee shop with a raised brow. “How about I… buy you a cup of coffee? If anything it’s a much warmer in there than out here.”

The blonde was apparently so dumbstruck at how much coffee he was being offered this morning that he initially was tempted to reject the other man’s offer. Just then a swift gust of chilled wind brushed past them both and seemed to attack every major muscle in his body. Even with his hands curled up tight within his pockets, Simon managed to rustle his jacket further around his chest and offered a silent nod in acceptance.

Markus turned on the balls of his feet and drew open the door so that Simon could enter first… even providing a polite smile as he did so. Blue and green eyes then followed the other man as he stepped forth out of the cold and into the inviting sights, sounds and smells of the coffee shop.

After taking a few more steps, Simon’s own pale gaze traveled across the seemingly endless combinations of coffee displayed on the board as he slid his knitted brown gloves off. Usually when he visited this particular shop, he’d snatch a regular coffee with cream and 2 sugars. Somehow, he felt embarrassed at admitting the truth about his rather boring choice of morning java.

“The list can seem a bit intimidating, huh?” came the tenor voice just off to his left.

When Simon’s glance finally turned away from the board, he saw the handsome man next him shrug with a soft chuckle. “I can’t deal with all those fancy types. For instance…” He nodded up to one section. “I have no idea what a ‘macchiato’ is. Just sounds like something a stuffy Italian would drink out of a tiny cup with their pinky held out.”

A snorted laugh emerged from Simon’s chest as he grinned and slowly shook his head. “Yeah.” He then stepped closer to the counter and after a moment of thought decided to order his usual. Once the tall cup was handed to him, the blonde man turned and then glanced around for an empty table. “How about we sit over there?” he asked with the cup lifting in the direction of a smaller table arranged in the back corner.

Markus followed the cup’s motion before spying the preferred spot and grinned even wider in reply. “Good choice…” His sketch pad then fanned out in a hushed invitation for Simon to wander over and sit down first.

The blonde glided with careful footfalls around the other occupied tables before finally drifting into the chair with its back against the wall. He emitted a careful breath as he set the heavy coffee mug down and then embraced the warm porcelain with somewhat cool fingers.

The artist eased into the empty chair across from Simon and rested the sketch pad down in front of him. His hips then shifted just enough so he could cross his legs underneath the small table. “I’m Markus, by the way. Nice to ah… finally meet you.”

It hadn’t occurred to Simon until that very moment that they’d not given each other proper introductions. “Oh! Nice to meet you too…” The coffee cup lifted to his lips for a quick sip before he finally continued, “I’m Simon.” His curiosity got the better of him as he then asked, “If I may… what is it that you’ve been sketching?”

“Hmmm?” The mismatched eyes shifted from Simon to the pad as a hand rose to rest on top. “It’s mostly nature drawings and still lifes.” The same hand waved in the air somewhat haphazardly. “Nothing that exciting, to be honest.”

The other man smiled faintly even as the coffee mug once again reached his lips. “More than I could ever do. My kids are much more talented than I am.”

That caused both of Markus’ brows to rise as his arms crossed carefully across his chest. “You have kids?”

Simon’s pale eyes almost twinkled in the dim light of the shop as he nodded. “Two girls. Emma and Alice. They’re fraternal twins and…” His words paused as he caught the subtle look of melancholy creeping upon his companion’s features. “Uh… they’re not mine. I’m a nanny.” He looked down at the table as a fingertip rolled around the top of his cup. “Strange for a man to be one, I know, but… the girls really like me and it pays the bills.”

Luckily Markus’ relieved breath remained relatively hidden behind his arms as he smiled. “And yet you’re here alone this morning. Day off?”

A soft chuckle and a shake of Simon’s head caused the waves of his hair to shake ever so slightly. “More like a week off. The family decided to take a trip out of town.” He sunk down in his chair as those pink lips twisted a touch. “I’ve been going completely stir crazy with them gone.”

“I can only imagine…” was the artist’s response before he briskly glanced behind him and then back with an apologetic smile. “Can you excuse me for a quick moment, Simon? I already had my own fill of coffee earlier and… well now It’s finally hit my bladder.” Mocha hued cheeks took on their own sheen of redness as he slowly got to his feet and stepped off towards the door to the men’s room.

Not that blonde could really blame him for wanting to take a quick bathroom break, though he did watch Markus’ movements with a silly smirk. Only when the other man was completely out of sight did pale eyes settle upon the sketch book he’d left behind.

The temptation to take just a quick look overcame his senses as he began to reach out before fingers curled inwards in shame. With a wrinkle of his nose and upper teeth biting harshly against his lower lip Simon snagged the pad and flipped it open to at least see the first drawing.

Blue eyes fell upon a soft charcoal drawing depicting a pair of maple trees. While Markus may have declared that his drawings were not that ‘exciting’, Simon could only see the beauty present in every single stroke. He was sorely tempted to reach out and touch the gentle strokes applied to each tree, but knew better of it as it would no doubt smudge the piece.

Perhaps instead he could see just a couple more?

He managed to turn through three more pages: drawings of a painter’s work table, the swing set from the park across the street, and an unassuming bowl of fruit. With a gentle sigh he began to close the book until he spied an orange maple leaf that toppled down from the very next page onto his lap.

Simon gritted his teeth hard as he gingerly snatched the delicate leaf upwards with one hand and turned the page with the other as he intended to simply return it to its proper place. Instead, his whole body immediately froze in place as he caught the sight of a face drawn so delicately in black and white…

A portrait… of himself.


	5. A New Beginning?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Markus catches Simon with his sketch pad, the two men continue their brief conversation...

**November 7, 1983**

**10:02am**

Pale blue eyes continued their examination of the black and white portrait even as its artist came forth from the men’s room with a smile on his lips. At least… it was on his lips until he caught sight of the other man and his hands currently holding both his sketch pad and the leaf he had saved from the other morning.

Well this was awkward.

Markus took the deepest breath he could manage and then forced himself across the room. Once reaching the table, he cleared his throat just loud enough for Simon to hear and then slid back down into his seat with an apologetic look. “I ah… I’m guessing you found the portrait.”

The other man swallowed before carefully pulling the other pages back around and placing the leaf safely inside the cover. “Yeah…” he whispered as his hands scooted the book across the table.

Mocha hued hands then grasped the pad and lifted it up to once more flip open the various pages until they finally reached the sketch that Simon had just been scanning. “I was… I mean.” Markus let forth a small sigh as he then reached with one hand towards the box of drawing utensils that had fallen into his inner coat pocket. “I’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable. I just… well… I felt inspired I guess you could say?”

Simon clasped the coffee mug still lain out before him as he attempted to smile through his own embarrassment. “You… did all that purely from memory?”

“Well I tried to but I couldn’t quite get the nose r-…” Markus paused suddenly as his brain caught up to the fact that his companion wasn’t angry or even scared with what he had done. He opened up the utensil box and dug out his charcoal stick “At least now I can work out the details I missed, right?”

The blonde sat back with his smile only growing across his features. “I guess so.”

Markus managed a soft chuckle as he propped the pad up against the edge of the table and placed the charcoal stick upon the page. “We can keep talking if you like…” His hand then began scratching along the paper as mismatched eyes darted between Simon’s face and his art.

“Oh well um…” Simon looked up in thought for a moment before he finally asked, “I think it’s only fair if I ask you the same question you told me earlier. You have any kids?”

The darker man’s hand paused upon the page as his smile dropped ever so slightly. “No… at least none I’m aware of. To be honest I’ve never been one to have a relationship long enough to even consider having kids.” Fingers finally continued their movements as he smirked. “I think you’d make a great dad, though.”

“Oh really? After 10 minutes of conversation you know that much about me, huh?” Simon slowly shook his head and picked up his now lukewarm java with a soft chuckle of his own.

Markus continued drawing as he quipped, “You already said you’re a nanny and love doing it. I think that qualifies as potential for being a good parent.”

The other man blinked a couple of times as Markus pretty much stated the obvious. “Touché…” he replied as the coffee cup came back up to his lips. “As for you… I can see that you really do want to settle down but just haven’t found the right girl yet.”

A shrug as the pad of his thumb softly brushed along the page a few times. “Maybe. I’m not saying I’d turn down the opportunity… if the other person felt the same way.”

Simon tilted his head back as the last few dregs of his coffee finally made it down his throat. His right hand then pushed the now empty mug aside as he then simply sat back in a contemplative silence.

After perhaps a few more minutes, Markus smiled and then turned the pad around to show his willing model the finished product. It was a near perfect reproduction of Simon’s face, caught in a gaze that could only be described as… tranquil. His face and eyes were turned slightly to the right and lips curled up just enough to be the beginnings of a smile.

It was the most beautiful thing Simon had ever seen.

His companion began to rip the page out, but was halted by a slim hand rising up in the air. “I think you should keep it…” Simon responded with a smile that almost mirrored his likeness upon the page.

“You sure?” was Markus’ retort with an accompanying raised eyebrow.

“Positive.” He then glanced up at the clock upon the wall and chewed at his lip briefly “Actually I should probably be heading out. Even though I don’t have the job to go to, I still have some errands to run.” Hands pressed against the table to push his slim frame upwards. “It was very nice to finally meet you, Markus. Thank you for the coffee and… the company.”

The charcoal stick was gingerly returned to the utensil box and the sketch book folded closed before Markus also rose to his feet in kind. “My pleasure. Nice to talk with you as well, Simon.” He then held out the maple leaf he’d kept by the stem. “Here. It’s only fair that you have something to keep with you as well, right?”

The blonde huffed a tiny laugh even as he reached to grasp the leaf by the stem. Their fingers touched once more as the dainty flora exchanged owners one last time. “I… Yes I guess that’s fair. Thank you.” Blue eyes focused on blue and green before finally tearing away as Simon moved at a quick pace for the door.

Simon couldn’t find the words to express the conflicted emotions channeling throughout his entire body. All he could think about now was retreating to someplace safer to avoid anything… worse from occurring.

Markus, in turn, simply exhaled slowly and picked up his own supplies… heading out the door perhaps a minute or two afterwards to avoid a scene. He was also suffering from internal confusion at what he’d just experienced… but there was nothing he could do about it now.

Perhaps the two men would run into each other again someday, and perhaps they would not. Who knows?

Even the wind has a indecipherable pattern to it which can bring two people together… if even for a fleeting moment and change their lives in unexpected ways…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally planned on this being the ending, but the more I've thought about it I decided that these two need at least a little more for things to truly work... so we're not done with their story just yet!


	6. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years later, Simon is invited to an art gallery showing he doesn't even want to attend. Good thing he manages to run into some old friends...

**November 7, 1986**

**6:58pm**

The temperature was an abysmal 17 degrees when Simon stepped outside the door to his apartment. Shoulders hoisted his jacket up tighter around his chin and as each glove slid onto his hands. A chilled breeze brushed through the soft waves of his hair which only coaxed his teeth to chatter even more than they already were.

He would never be able to get used to how cold it could get in this town.

The blonde had been invited by his employers to attend some sort of special art gallery event. The official reason was to watch Alice and Emma since there’s no telling what a pair of 12 year-olds could do in a place like that. Unofficially, Simon suspected that the mother had insisted he come along to ‘make him more social’ and try and set him up with one of her friends. 

Simon sighed quietly as he finally made it to the bus stop and settled down upon one of the empty benches nearby. He scooted down enough to let his head fall back against the top of the bench and glance up at the night sky for a brief moment. At least it wasn’t snowing tonight and the clouds had dissipated enough so he could see some of the stars twinkling above.

It was so peaceful that he almost didn’t notice the headlights of the bus as they rounded the corner and approached at a gradually decreasing speed. Only when the air brakes whooshed as the vehicle came to a brisk pause did the man raise his head and then hoist the rest of him up off the bench.

At least the bus would be much warmer than the sidewalk.

\----------------------------

The Williams family was waiting for Simon when he entered the building. He observed the four of them dressed in much more expensive attire than he was currently wearing. Kara walked over with a bright smile as she held what appeared to be a dinner jacket draped across one arm.

“Simon. Glad you could make it.” She extended the jacket towards the man which he gingerly took with slim fingers. “The girls are, as usual, not exactly pleased to be here but I’m sure you can work your magic like you always do, right?”

The blonde snorted with a small head shake as he shrugged the offered clothing on over his shoulders. “I’ll try my best, of course.” The jacket was a medium brown tweed that complimented the soft blue of his button-down shirt and tan trousers quite well. While this wasn’t exactly a black tie event, apparently jackets were expected… which was fine.

The five of them then entered the already buzzing art gallery with a multitude of guests all gathered around various large paintings. Simon’s eyes gazed across just a couple near the entrance with curiosity. Mostly portraits done in an abstract style he couldn’t quite pinpoint. Perhaps the subject of each piece wasn’t the point, as the real focus appeared to be the vivid colors of blue, green and red which drew the eye to follow each brush stroke with such precision that Simon’s mind could barely keep up.

“Do you like that one, Simon?” Emma had tugged on his jacket sleeve as she and Alice stood close by. The particular painting they’d paused at was a bright blue with darker shades of aqua which outlined a face turned slightly to the left. The painting itself was massive, taking up almost the entirety of the wall it was hanging from.

Simon grinned in spite of himself and eventually nodded in reply. “I do… though it’s a bit too big to fit in my living room.”

Alice laughed as she stepped back to get a better view of the full canvas. “Yeah… too big for ours too but I think it’s neat.” She continued backing up until she accidentally bumped into someone standing nearby. With a swift turn she uttered a quick “Sorry!” to the person in question before returning to Simon’s side.

“That’s quite alright…” the woman responded with a warm smile as her near black eyes soon came upon pale blue ones. “These two yours?”

Simon’s face nearly went slack as he watched the woman wander closer to him and the girls. “L… Lucy? Wow. Of all places to bump into you after all these years…” He clasped the shoulders of both the girls as he cleared his throat. “Um… Emma and Alice are not mine personally but I’m here as their nanny.” His head glanced off to the side and then back as he asked, “What brings you here anyways?”

Lucy was dressed in a deep red gown of taffeta with a hem that stopped just above her ankles. The sleeves rustled as she turned to look over her shoulder for the briefest of moments. “The artist and I are old friends, actually.” As she turned back she smiled once more to the three of them. “Would you like to meet him?”

“Oh yes!” the twins exclaimed in unison which caused Simon to blink in surprise.

The woman then reached out both hands. “Come on then. Mr. Manfred is always willing to meet his fans.” Lucy then offered a wink to Simon as she began to escort Alice and Emma away. “I think you’ll find what you’re looking for over there,” nodding towards a door just off to his left and then walking with the two girls off to find ‘Mr. Manfred’ on the other side of the gallery.

The blonde squinted his eyes incredulously before inhaling a deep breath and turning on the balls of his feet to head through the door Lucy had directed him to.

The small sitting room echoed with each step that Simon’s loafers made along the polished marble floor. The walls were dimly lit by rays of moonlight that shone through a nearby window. A rather impressively long leather couch sat across from the door which cause’s Simon’s head to tilt faintly to the side as he could scarcely see something… or someone lain down upon it.

“I said I’d be out in a few minutes, Leo…” came a somewhat annoyed male voice from the direction of said couch. The originator of that voice then gradually turned until finally the other man caught that his visitor was not Leo Manfred at all. He rolled along the leather cushion in an instant and stood up with fingers attempting to brush away the growing wrinkles all along the front of his suit.

“M-Markus?” Simon could scarcely believe his eyes as they briskly took in the man now standing before him. The medium grey suit he was wearing was cut very close to his lithe frame and accentuated by a slim tie of a slightly darker shade of grey. The middle button had popped open when Markus stood up and now the man didn’t even seem to notice as his heterochromatic stare was now firmly upon the blonde standing across from him.

Soon enough, Simon took careful steps along the marble floor until finally the two men met almost toe-to-toe with each other. Markus exhaled a long breath and smiled with arms reaching out to tug the other man’s shoulder in and wrap around for a tight hug. Simon huffed in surprise before his own expression gradually shifted into a returned smile that soon got buried against the soft linen of Markus’ jacket. His own arms snaked around as they simply held onto each other for what felt like eons.

At this point neither of them seemed to care if anyone could or would walk into the room and catch them in such an intimate embrace. It had been 3 years since they’d first met. Three years of anticipation to continue their brief conversation in that quaint little coffee shop near the Park. Now they had a lot of catching up to do…

It was Simon who eventually broke away with the blush on his cheeks luckily hidden in the near darkness of the room. “It’s um… good to see you.” Once again he looked the man up and down with a lopsided grin marking his features. “You look great, by the way.”

“One of Carl’s old suits he can’t fit into anymore,” Markus answered with his mocha hands finally dropping to fasten the open button at his abdomen. “But what about you? How… I mean… this doesn’t seem like a place you’d visit at all. No offense.”

The other man shook his head with a faint chuckle. “None taken. Honestly I didn’t even want to come but I was… persuaded by Kara and her family to make an appearance and take care of the girls while we’re here.”

“Well judging by the fact you came in here by yourself, I assume the girls are being watched by someone else?” At this point Markus simply couldn’t hide the amused grin on his face as his hands fell behind his back.

Simon dipped his head in an affirmative nod as his own hands simply dug down deep into the folds of his trouser pockets. “Oh yeah they’re fine.” He then glanced back towards the door and asked “Though I suspect if I don’t show back up soon they may call out a search party…”

The other man followed Simon’s glance with a nod of his own. “Fair enough. How about we head on out and rejoin the crowd?” A hand then fell upon the tweed jacket shoulder and squeezed ever so gently. “I promise to keep all the yuppies out there from ruining the rest of your evening.”

“I can live with that. Besides I believe I owe you a drink, though it’s a bit late for coffee.”

Markus let out a soft laugh at that as his hand fell back down to his side. “It’s never too late for coffee… especially when it involves chatting with a friend.” He then extended the same hand towards the door. “After you…”

Simon’s smile only grew wider in response as he turned and soon lead the both of them from the secluded room to once again deal with the still growing crowd of Carl Manfred’s admirers.

The night was young… and luckily both the coffee and the company were still quite warm.


	7. Just a Little Touch...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diving back into the gallery party, Markus and Simon discover that sometimes not talking can say so much more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must have written and rewritten this chapter at least three times before finally getting to a place that I felt was a good ending. I'm already thinking of writing a sequel at a later time, so you haven't seen the last of these two! Thank you all for reading!

**November 7, 1986**

**7:23pm**

The gallery had only grown more claustrophobic since Simon bumped into Markus. The sheer amount of people caused the former’s breath to catch in his chest with fear… until he then felt the latter’s hand once more upon his shoulder.

“Simon… Relax. Everything’s going to be fine.” Markus’ head then nodded towards the refreshment stand just across the room. “Come on. I think we can make it all the way over there without any ensued casualties, alright?”

Pale blue eyes followed the freckled man’s nod as he swallowed nervously. “Um… sure. Lead the way?” As his head turned, Simon’s nostrils caught a gentle scent of mint that lingered upon Markus’ warm breath. Even though that was about to be ruined by the forthcoming cup of coffee, he didn’t seem to care in the slightest at this point.

The pair somehow were able to zigzag their way through the array of finely dressed occupants until finally reaching their destination a few minutes later. Simon’s fingers fetched a small leather wallet from his back pocket and flipped it open to grab a couple of crumpled dollar bills. He opened his mouth to order before it twisted into a confused expression and then snapped back shut. “Um… I forgot to ask what type of coffee you’d like,” he commented before emitting a faint chuckle. “Though I suspect a macchiato is out of the question.”

A soft laugh was heard just off to Simon’s right as blue and green eyes darted over to the attendant. “Just a coffee with one spoonful of cream, no sugar. Thanks.” His lips then offered a polite grin as the small, thin man with bright orange hair handed it over. “Well then,” Markus said once his beverage was in hand. “How about we go sit over there by the window?”

“Um… okay,” Simon agreed while slipping the thin leather wallet once more inside his pocket.

The couch nestled beneath said heavily curtained window was a tad smaller than the one Markus had been found lying on just a few minutes earlier. Each of them plopped down upon the comfortable leather cushions before Markus declined his head to take a quick sip of coffee.

Simon, on the other hand, sat forwards with elbows propped upon his knees. A wisp of golden hair slid down across his forehead as he leaned over… causing the other man to pause mid-drink to store such an exquisite sight within his memory. As if catching the look, the blonde tilted his head with brows shifting upwards in a silent, questioning gaze.

The darker man’s lightly freckled cheeks suddenly felt warm as he coughed a couple of times and crossed his left leg loosely over the right. “So uh… obviously you’re still doing the nanny thing…” His head briskly turned to stare off at the far wall. “Is your girlfriend okay with that?”

Such a question caused the other man to immediately sit up in utter surprise with thin fingers replacing where his elbows had just retreated from. “No…” he replied in an almost whisper.

“She’s not okay with that?” Markus’s thick eyelashes blinked a couple of times as he could feel the pit in his belly increase with disappointment. His index finger absently rolled around the lip of his mug as his chin then dropped to stare directly at the floor.

“No I….” Simon sighed heavily with his own expression softening at the sight. His right hand lifted up as if to offer a bit of comfort before his fingers curled inwards and eventually fell to rest upon his thigh. “I meant that I don’t… have a girlfriend.”

Blue and green eyes darted upwards to meet the two pale orbs of blue. His own gaze appeared to relax with a gentle smile reaching his lips. “Oh… I see,” he uttered with his own voice growing quiet as well.

“Well… I mean I’m not saying I’d turn down the opportunity… if the other person felt the same way.”

Markus’ lips arched upwards even more as they took on a somewhat lopsided grin. “Yeah…”

The blonde mirrored the other man’s goofy smile with one of his own. “What about you?”

“Me? Well... no one’s snatched me up yet. Not for lack of trying, of course.” He leaned back and once more sipped on the warm liquid inside the mug. “Let’s just say I want more than a quick lay at this point in my life.”

Simon offered a slow nod to that as he mimicked Markus’ earlier reply, “Yeah…”

Both men then fell into a pleasant silence as the rest of the room continued on with all the hustle and bustle that often accompanies fancy gatherings such as this. It was cozy enough as Markus calmly enjoyed his coffee and Simon appeared to be content to just sit there.

Perhaps 20 minutes passed with the two of them watching as the occasional patron scuttled to and fro. Some were present to purchase some of Carl Manfred’s work, while others were there to ‘be seen’ at such an established function. Luckily Markus and Simon were not interested in either proposition and so remained relatively camouflaged from what everyone else was doing.

“Mmmm. Seems I’ve run out of coffee,” Markus observed with eyes staring down at his now empty mug. Perhaps he’d finished the beverage minutes before, but was in absolutely no hurry to refill it.

Until now at least.

“Oh?” Simon blinked at sound of the tenor voice speaking up next to him. “I can get you a refill of you want.” His left hand slowly extended across… beckoning to receive the cup from the other man’s grasp.

The mocha hued hand eased forward with the cup in tow until it finally reached the pale one ready to accept it. As Simon’s fingertips brushed across the soft skin of the other man’s knuckles, he gradually leaned forwards with lips gently parted and eyelids drooping ever so slightly.

As if taking the queue, Markus responded in kind with the softest of smiles and his head tilted just an inch to the side. He watched as those full lips progressively closed the distance between them as the rest of the room was irrevocably forgotten.

“Simon!” The unmistakable unison of Emma & Alice’s voices interrupted the two men which caused the blonde to snap backwards as if on instinct. The coffee mug jerked away from their grasp and then bounced a few times along the plush rug beneath their feet. Simon’s heart beat at turbo speed as both girls ran over. “Come on, Simon. We have to show you something!” Emma tugged hard on his sleeve which caused the man to shoot a guilty look towards Markus as he rose from their shared oasis.

“Oh alright…” he forced a chuckle while following the twins along towards one of the many alcove this building had to offer.

Markus’ own head simply rolled back until his heterochromatic gaze was fixed upon the ceiling. He snorted a faint laugh at what had just transpired and then took the deepest breath he could into his lungs.

“Those two can be quite a handful…” came a familiar voice from a few feet away.

The man’s head quickly rose up only to catch the sight of Lucy standing there in a long red gown. Her plump lips were smiling warmly as dark eyes followed the trio. “Good thing they adore Simon so much.” Her chin then swiveled at a languid pace until she fully faced her compatriot. “Perhaps you should go see what the girls discovered.”

A dark brow rose at the woman’s observation, but Markus did gradually hoist himself from the couch with a soft grunt. “Lucy…” he stated as he slowly buttoned his jacket “Why do you seem so interested in Simon and myself? I mean you barely know us.”

The woman knelt down just far enough to snatch the discarded coffee cup from the ground and loop the handle around her finger. “I’m just a girl who enjoys a happy ending.” She winked and nodded towards the alcove. “Now go on….”

Markus’ lower lip protruded out a tiny bit to signify his growing doubt but heeded the woman’s words anyway. With an abrupt turn on the balls of his feet, he headed off to see where precisely Simon and the 12 year-olds had gone off to.

A million thoughts ran through his mind just as the man rounded the corner and caught sight of the one thing he wasn’t expecting this evening…

Simon was sitting upon a bench with the girls standing on either side of him. The pale man’s posture was slumped as his shoulders curled forwards. Despite this, his gaze appeared to be transfixed on the watercolor hanging on the wall in front of him.

A smaller piece that Markus had painted solely on a whim. In front of a soft, rainbow-hued background were a pair of hands. One was almost as pale as snow while the other was a soft espresso brown. Both hands had fingers lightly splayed while reaching towards the center to touch a single orange maple leaf.

“That’s like the leaf you have. Right, Simon?” Alice pointed to the center of the painting with a bright smile.

The blonde man leaned back on the bench with arms bracing the edge in order to keep him upright. “Hmmm. Now that you mention it, it does look kind of like mine. Yes.” He grinned towards the girl as he tilted his head. “Good catch.”

Markus couldn’t help but smile wide himself as a shoulder soon propped up against the doorframe. Arms crossed loosely over his chest as a small bit of color made it onto his freckled cheeks.

It was his first watercolor painting, and Carl had obviously placed it here on purpose.

“Emma. Alice. How about we go find your parents, hmmm?” Lucy somehow had magically appeared just behind Markus and held out a hand to beckon the twins.

Both girls immediately beamed at the idea and rushed around the bench to follow the woman on out… but not before she offered Markus a sly wink and a nod towards Simon in the process.

Simon seemed to at least partially relax as the pair left the room but then casually glanced over his shoulder and spy the other man in the doorway. “This is yours.” The distinct glow of the ceiling lamp illuminating the work gave his blonde hair an almost ethereal glow as he continued. “Isn’t it?”

Markus emitted a soft breath before detaching himself from the doorframe. “Yes it’s mine.” He took careful steps across the room and then settled down on the bench a few inches away from the other man. “I had no idea Carl was going to display it, though.”

After following the freckled man’s movements, soft blue eyes were drawn once more towards the work. “I can see you share his love for bright colors.” Lips curled upwards into a gentle smile. “It’s beautiful. Does it have a name?”

A name? Markus pursed his lips in thought. “I… You know what? I never thought to give it one.”

“Huh.” Simon blinked a couple of times as he sat up straight. His chin moved along with his gaze as if drinking in each tiny brush stroke. Only once he’d seemingly memorized the entire piece did he finally speak. “Maybe it doesn’t need one.” Only then did Simon’s eyes shift to fully look at his companion “Some things… are better without an explanation.”

Markus all but beamed towards the blonde and then replied with a soft nod. “Yeah… exactly.”

Simon’s own smile widened as well before they both turned back to once again observe Markus’ work. Eventually he felt the gentle brush of a soft hand across his palm which caused his fingers to gradually curl upwards.

Sometimes no words are necessary… but even a gentle breeze can bring two seemingly different people closer together.

\----------------------------

FIN


End file.
